You may notice as I show you these pics that 99 percent of them are of him sleeping. That’s because when he’s not sleeping he’s moving at the speed of light.

Yeah.

At first he was so sweet and calm and QUIET:

I bragged to our friends about how he never made a peep – not even a whimper. He never barked, never cried.

He was just adorable. Calm. Did I mention quiet?

Buwhahahahahaaa! He sucked us in and then we got to know the REAL nut.

The barking, streaking through the house, FREAK-OUT-everytime-I-hear-a-noise, chew up Mommy’s decorative molding, I’ll go inside or outside, you don’t get to decide -- booyah version of the Peanut.

:)

We took him to puppy training, which did help a bit. He can now sit on command (only on fluffy surfaces mind you – he’s got a sensitive rump), will come when called about 25 percent of the time, and we got a few potty training tips that did help.

He graduated too. Not with honors, but he graduated:

We’re so proud! Sniff.

I think he was sending us a message when this happened:

It’s getting better. A little bit. Small victories people.

I could not have lived without this thing over the past few months:

It’s the Bissell Spot Bot and it rocks. my. world. :) You just set it on the spot and turn it on – it does the work for you.

It’s saved my sanity more than once. :)

All kidding aside, us life-long cat people are now hooked on a little Chihuahua:

Even on days when he’s made me just a leeetle bit crazy, he still gets me right in the heart when he cuddles up at the end of the day:

He wants nothing more than to be right by our side, every chance he gets. He loves us so unconditionally.

Sometimes I still can't believe we have a DOG. And I can’t believe how much we’ve all fallen in love with him:

He’s my cuddlebug, our son’s BFF, and he’s just as excited to see hubby walk through the door every evening as the Bub is. It’s like two brothers, running to greet Daddy when he gets home. :)

These guys…well, they could take him or leave him:

Yeah, they look chill there, but don’t let that fool you.

He LOVES the cats though. I suspect that may be their problem.

Our Nutter started out at about three pounds and we were told he wouldn’t get much bigger. He’s about seven pounds now and still growing. He’s outgrown his extra small collar and we’re on to just a small. So big! :)

And he’s got the physical trait I passed down to the Bub – our large ears:

It’s a sign he was meant to be a part of our family. :) They’re much cuter on him than me.

Our life is crazier, busier, messier with him in it, but SO much fuller too. Love this dog!

P.S. Any potty training tips you can offer to this newish doggie Mama? We’ve tried the bell on the door, we take him out after sleeping, eating, playing…and yet he’ll still has accidents. (And it’s not a “holding it” issue – he can go all night with absolutely no problems.)

Is it a Chihuahua thing? A Rat Terrier thing? (He’s a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix.) A wait and see and he’ll get it thing? ;) Ideas are appreciated!

I have a 6-year-old Pomeranian who has been terribly difficult to train. What has finally worked for me is to go outside *with* her and make sure she does her business. If I don't go out, she runs and plays, then comes in and pees on the rug. (ARG!) Have you tried setting a timer? I have other dogs, so I make sure she goes out every time they do. Good luck! (Spot Bots rock!)

In our expreience, it took a lot longer for our small dog to housebreak than our bigger dogs b/c of the smaller bladder. But with the 4 dogs we've had over the years we always crate train them. They are in the crate at all times, when they come out they immediately go outside, then play with them, walk them, give them your attention, then outside again and straight back into the crate. They were never allowed to roam free or explore. As they got older they got to play and hang out for longer periods of time and they eventually learned to go to the door when they needed to go. But the routine always stayed the same and we never had trouble.

I love all the pictures! Especially the graduation one-what a heart breaker!! Makes me miss my puppies back home. I have two Chihuahuas. What we did to potty train them was go outside with them and stay out there until they peed. Another thing was if they peed in the house, we would lock them outside for a little bit to show them that that was bad. Another thing we did was give them a little tap on their bum if they peed in the house and tell them a firm "no."

One more thing though, one of my chihuahuas is 10 years old, was potty trained-ish at one point, and sometimes still pees in the house. My mom has now blocked off certain areas so they can only be in the kitchen/living room, and that helps too.

Precious! I know the joy dogs can bring...trying for my 3rd (with no success)! I will warn ya that though though spot cleaners are nice using chemicals and stuff like that is actually bad for the carpet, my husband works for a carpet manufacturer. A professional hot water extraction is really the only way to go.

I will say that a dog door changed our lives! Our first was having a hard time with the potty training, sounds similar to your experience, once we got the dog door it was a breeze!

Peanut is adorable!!!! I've had several pups over the years, and some just take a bit longer to housebreak than others....I've always just tried to take them out frequently, and repeat the same "cue word" while they're outside doing their jobs. I've heard people use "outside" or "hurry" or "do your business"....whatever you choose, he'll learn when he hears that word its time to potty. I also trained my newest pup to hit the bell on the door, but it took awhile for him to master it. CONGRATS on becoming a doggie owner :)

Thanks for all the info everyone!! We are doing the crate training, but sometimes I'll make the mistake of thinking he's "getting it" and will let him roam for a few minutes -- he's getting better for sure, but he still has accidents, even though he just went outside!

This is the best bedtime story EVER. I swear I was laughing out loud the entire time I was reading it. I have no advice. My, now 9 year old, puppy was hell. She was a demon child. The day I came home from work and found five photo albums chewed to pieces, I just sat down and cried. No yelling. No beating. No nothing. Just crying. She never did anything naughty ever again. Ever. Again. So maybe that's your answer? Cry. A lot. At all her naughtiness. lol Good luck!

We had a looong struggle potty-training our puppy, and then we tried crate training. Worked in a matter of days! It seems a little harsh to confine them to a crate for so long, but our dog (now 13) still prefers his crate as a snuggle spot.

Oh my gosh, I couldn't stop laughing. I'm laying in bed reading my nightly blog obsessions and hubby and I are laughing, especially after seeing the chewed book. I think God makes pets cute so they can get away with that stuff...lol.love the stories, keep them coming!

We foster pups and I'm so happy to see your new puppy. I don't have a good idea on the potty training but, we do take the puppies out often (every hour) and keep them in sight...even on leash in the house until trained. When folks come to visit and we have a "submissive pee-er", I ask them to ignore the puppy entirely.

We have a chihuahua mix ~and~ a rat terrier. The CHI is the MUST STUBBORN dog I've ever met. You'll need to make it VERY CLEAR to him that he should potty OUTSIDE, or he'll just look at you like 'Who, ME?!"

We had success with 1) going outside with him and Telling Him to Go. Pick a simple phrase that you won't use in any other context. Give "The Command" and wait out there with him until he goes.

2) We asked the neighbor to let her dog wee in one corner of our yard for about a week. This is where we WANTED him to go. He goes to this place, smells that another dog was there, and now he wants to mark HIS territory. This may sound crazy, but it beats paying $15 for a plastic wee-scented yard stake at the PetSmart.

3) This is embarrassing, but evidently, in Chihuahua, squealing "PeeePeees PeePees" in a very high voice that makes the neighbors reconsider your sanity is 'The Signal" to run outside and go potty. It's worked with every Chi we know. . Good luck!

I agree with those who say crate training is the way to go. Some dogs still take a bit longer but it really works brilliantly. Our EXTREMELY high strung pup (who's now 105 lbs. of crazy...see, could be worse!) was house broken with the crate method. Lifesaver! It's the only reason he made it to adulthood.

Your Peanut is Precious. I really wanted a small dog; but Grace The Wonder Dog found my husband while we were on vacation in TN. Someone dropped her off & she was flea infested & so pathetic. She is now the Queen of our House even though she has chewed up two (YEs, TWO) of my husband Coach wallets, money, credit cards, leather book cover, shoes & a huge package of toilet paper. Everything high end except for the toilet paper ... I have yet to figure that one out. And Grace is not a puppy to grow out of these behaviors ... but we love her and she is family ... flaws and all.

What a cute little thing! I've 'potty' trained two dogs and what worked best for me was have a routine, fixed events when to take him out ie after eating we went outside and just before bedtime. It was very strange but for some reason both of them had a 'aha' moment and neither has had any accidents since then. Good Luck! :)

on the potty training note, i feel ya, we have a chihuahua purebred and he has accidents at night when we are asleep, if you find any tricks, share them with me please:) I don't know what to do in this situation either

Crate training worked wonders with our bulldog. Treats and tons of love with every pee as a little pup made a huge difference! We still go out with him every time he potties and praise the heck out of him. PS-seriously jealous of your spot bot, that would have come in handy those first few puppy months!

I agree with some said on here, specially Christi, that is what we did with our Standard Poodle. Crate Training is awesome! It's the only way to go. Also, when she was a puppy we had a leash on her at all times in the house. Like that when she was doing something wrong we could grab it and correct her. If she tried to jump up or start running we'd step on the leash preventing her from doing so, or if she started to go potty. We also made a noise when we corrected her.

I LOVE him. He is absulotely sweet! Then again, I have a "thing" for chihuahuas and terriers....and a new "Mingo" at home. We have an adult rat terrier, a schnoodle--and baby Mingo (jack russell, boston terrier) now.

Potty training is a hard thing--just keep consistant--and GET HIM FIXED :) That actually helps marking a lot...growing up our chihuahua marked his whole life. Our Jack Russell who we lost sadly last Nov. was late to be fixed because of a livr enzime issue that had to be controlled first-but the marking was FAR less once he was fixed.

Give him lots of snuggles from me..he is awfully sweet looking (although I know he will be crazy at times too!!)

Seriously, if you have a fenced back yard then consider a doggie door if you don't already have one. Makes life MUCH easier for everyone. If he pees in the house just toss him out the doggie door....he'll get the hint. OH, and if you don't do it already, tap his nose into the puddle he left on the floor and then toss him out the doggie door. We have potty trained every puppy we have had this way. Good luck!

Crate training is a good way. Also, if you have him out and in the house, tie a long leash to your belt. That way is he never far away from you. That works pretty well since he is a little older and will usually try to hide to go and potty in the house. If he hasn't been neutered yet, that will help with marking. Also, once he is older, belly bands seem to work wonders with male dogs (you can look them up online). We have a dachshund which is another stubborn breed, so I feel your pain! Good luck!

He is completely adorable. We have always had greyhounds, incredibly chill and easy easy easy to train. However- after our last grey passed my husband came home from work with a little dog... she is part Boston Terrier, part something else, all devil. She is affectionately known as a 'Rotten Terrier mix.' I housebroke her the same way I housebroken numerous (we used to foster for rescue groups) greyhounds. I tied her leash to my belt loop. Everywhere I went, she went. She was confined to a crate when we weren't home. We had a total of 2 accidents. Both my fault. Good luck with your little guy!

I have a Boston/rat terrier and he was very hard to train. But he eventually got it because every time he did his business outside we'd make a big deal, throw him a party. We also learned to read his cues and head off when he might be contemplating going inside. Another idea, if you free feed is to get him on a feeding schedule, so you'll know when he has to go.

The puppy crazies should taper off and after about two years old he'll likely be calmer. We take our terrier mix to the park almost every day and throw the tennis ball for him to wear him out. No more living room obstacle course running when we do that.

Crate training broke my heart, and I didn't listen to everyone at first because I said "no he's just too sensitive to be in the crate, he's not like other dogs, he doesn't like it" - he still doesn't LIKE it but we started putting him in there a couple months after we got him and that's what honestly did it, it makes him hold it longer, ultimately stretching his bladder so he'll ultimately just catch on that when we take him out of the crate we take him out to pee/poop and it took him until he was 6-7 months old before he was fully potty trained but it worked! OH THIS IS IMPORTANT! Apparantly once they hit 14-16 months old they go through PUBERTY, our house was quiet for a few months, he grew out of his puppy stage around 1 and now it's just as bad again, they said it'll only last a couple months but holy cow, really, puberty??!

We potty trained our little guy in 3 or 4 days. We used two techniques. Whenever we would catch him squatting in the house, we would pick him up immediately and bring him outside. Also, if the #2'd in the house we would pick it up (with gloves and wads of paper towels of course) and throw it in the backyard (where we wanted him to do his deed). I have no idea if either of these methods would work for all dogs, but it just seemed to make sense to us. He would sniff around the yard where we threw out his #2 and I think he understood that "OH...that's where that stuff goes!". :) We also used the bell trick...sort of. I had gotten a gag gift one year of a "Doggie Doorbell". It's shaped like a dog paw and has a big button on it and a wirless "bell" attached. When you push the button a little barking sound comes out (or you can switch it to a regular bell sound too). So right before we would take Gus outside we'd take his paw and push the button with it. Eventually he started doing it on his own, but he didn't always understand what it meant at first (he'd push it randomly for no reason). But we always always always made him go outside whenever he pushed it and eventually he understood what it meant. He's 6 years old now and still uses that doorbell to this day! Good luck to you! What a cutie pie little guy. :)

We have "Buster the Bad *ss Boston Terrier". He was a Boston Terror to potty train. He would try to sneak off and find a spot in the dining room to mark. Someone told me to put a few pennies in a rinsed out Cola Can and tape it shut. Whenever we caught him in the act, shake the can loudly at him - then take him outside. It scared the bejeebers out of him! I lined the Cola Cans in the doorway of the dining room. If he tried to sneak in there, they would fall over and scare the bejeebers out of him! Worked like a charm in no time. Same thing if he tried to get on furniture I didn't want him on. Set a Cola Can on top and it'll rattle when he tries to jump up there. Buster still doesn't like that dining room. He NEVER has "accidents" in the house now - NEVER! But he is a little leary when he sees us break out a Cola to drink ;-)

Aw, I so wish we lived near each other because I am confident that Eowyn & Peanut are soulmates! When she tears around the house or yard at lightening speed we call it "hyper puppy mode". She breaks out in hyper puppy mode at least once a day and it's hilarious! I can imagine The Nut is equally as hilarious in hyper puppy mode! As far as potty training, I've told you all my "success tips" and we're still having an occasional accident. Gah! I think little dogs are harder to train.

I so identify with this post! My husband and I just got our first puppy this past Sunday and we're a bit out of our comfort zone and have a huge learning curve (the pup included). Any tips you have learned on house breaking are *greatly* appreciated!!!

Oh what a cute Nutter Butter!!! Yes, I find all terriers to be somewhat hyper. For housetraining, crate training as other posters advised is great and I would reinforce it with tiny food treats immediately after he "makes" outside.

What a cutie!!!As for the potty thing- Max still goes all over the house (and twice during the middle of the night on our bedroom floor) and he's five years old. It's SO annoying because we take him outside EVERY time he decides to go that route. Why won't he just tell us EVERY time?Good thing he so darn cute. :-)

Oh my goodness. I just laughed VERY loudly when I saw him in his graduation cap. He's precious. And from a lifelong pup owner, he'll get the potty training. It may take a while, but he'll get there. :)

Great post! Always love a little pup update. The best was when you said you brought him home and thought you knew him and then the REAL nut came out. My rescue was like that...he just became personality PLUS as the months went by. So sweet!

This post melted my heart!!! Welcome again to pooch parenthood!! This is what it's all about; the loving cuddling, playing....barking..peeing...oh and barking!! But you/I/we would't trade it for the world!!! Oh and as for the Nuts "accident" problem....for some reason it takes small dogs longer to train than larger(i've had both). The best way to housetrain would be crate training, dogs are clean animals(I know who knew, right!! ;)) they will not do their business were they eat, sleep, or play! Hope this helps!! Just have patience! He will get it...eventually....lol....jk!

Little dogs are always harder to potty train- small bladders mean LOTS of trips outside for potty breaks- I'd recommend every hour at least for him until he's older.

One thing that worked for us was having a "potty party" every time our dog went potty outside- it's kind of ridiculous but basically you just go out with them and when they potty outside you make a HUGE deal about it- lots of excited noises and praise. And if they potty inside do not reprimand them. And no puppy pee pads because that just confuses them.

The joys of potty training...I agree with all the posts about crate training. We crate trained both our dogs until 1.5-2 years old. Whenever we couldn't watch them like hawks, they were crated. Another tip is to go absolutely BONKERS when he goes potty outside. Use whatever word you use when he does something correct (we use "Yes") as soon as he squats/lifts a leg. After he finishes, give him a treat and praise him like crazy! Your neighbors may think you've gone mad, but I promise it'll help. Dogs really do want to please people, and usually when they do something wrong its because they dont understand what we want from them. Good Luck!!

I have no idea about how to train a dog to do anything - we are ct people. But your post just make me giggle and smile. That is the most adorable little friend you have there! I'm sure he thinks he won the dog family lotto.

Sometimes an animal "goes", not because his bladder is full, but because he gets bladder spasms when he gets overly stressed or excited. (If you've ever had a UTI, you know the urge I'm talking about.) Anyway, the best thing you can do is remove the stressors, but that's often impossible. Sometimes you can teach your dog to calm himself. Get a rope bone or soft toy he can chew on. Every time he gets worked up, offer the toy or bone to him. Eventually, any time he gets stressed, he will seek out the toy or bone for himself. Good luck! (He's so cute!)

Your dog is so cute! Hang in there, it will happen. We have a rescue dog and I thought we would never get past the potty training. We decided to set a timer and take in out every hour or so even if he didn't have to go and he got used to going to the door and doing his business outside it became a habit for him. Hope this helps, it will be worth all of your effort I promise. If your dog is sensitive to noise like ours try and keep your tone the same, even when you get after him just use more authority that might help too.

We've had a chihuahua mix for a little over a year. It took that long to stop the accidents. Just when I thought I could bear it no more she stopped. She sent me a message too--chewed the plug off my wet/dry vac. I'd encourage you to stick with it and continue crate training.

We just know that we have to let Annie out the door immediately after the crate. Then, she can roam free for a while when she comes back in.

he is adorable!! i have a rat terrier and is he soooo well behaved! i didn't do all the training though, my sister did alot, the one thing i've always done though, is whenever you take them outside i would stand there and say 'potty time, potty time' after awhile as soon as i would say it he would do his business and get it done with. I do agree that crate training is the way to go, cause that is their space that won't mess in it. and of course positive reinforcment, treats are a most! :)

I think its a chihuahua thing. I have two. One male and one female. The female is GREAT but the male will use the bathroom wherever he wants. Not only that but he "marks" everything!!! My vet said that is very common with male chihuahuas. Good luck! Mine are 8 and I'm still dealing with it. =)

I'm sure you're probably getting lots of conflicting advice, so I hesitate to add to the slush pile, but we have a terrier and he also took a while to train. I could never keep our dog in his crate all the time when he's inside - I love having him play with us or wander around freely. :) I would agree with what some previous posters have said about going outside to make sure that the dog is "going." We used a lot of positive reinforcement with our dog, Arthur, telling him he was a good boy and petting him after he was finished. He doesn't have a bell at the door, but he knows to sit at the door when he's ready to go out. That took about a year for him to fully master. He learned that because we made him sit before going out (this was mainly because he would jump all over the door and scratch it, so we wanted him to learn that he couldn't go out until he was sitting calmly and patiently). Now he sits in front of the door calmly without us even telling him to sit. Dogs are wonderful, though...our dog has messed up carpets in three different houses now and we still wouldn't trade him for anything. :)

Your little dog is adorable. We just got a little toy fox terrier (or terrorist) from a rescue four days ago so I'm right there with you! The training isn't going so badly here but I think it's because we have an older (9 yrs.) terrier and we take them out together. When Winston sees the older dog going he seems to think 'hmmm...maybe I should do that too?' and it's working pretty well. These little dogs are pretty stubborn but they do like to please their people. For sure you feel a little stupid standing out in your yard clapping when your dog goes...but it does help! Good luck to you and a long, healthy life to Peanut!

I had to learn the hard way with my Havanese puppy, don't give them to much space when they are young. I was letting my little girl run all over the house and she was having so many accidents. I got some great adivce and got a little pen and set it up in the room where we were most and unless one of us was playing with her and giving her our complete attention she stayed in the pen. She had her bed, water, toys in there and it really helped, she finally got it.

Hey there we just got a pug in December she was hard to break too. I heard little dogs are harder than big dogs. We tried EVERYTHING. My husband has had many dogs in his life, we finally stopped the new age way of training and started rubbing her nose in the accident and swatting her butt followed by putting her outside and success, she has stopped after only one week of that. I know her schedule now and let her out at the same times telling her to potty. Also to get her to this point I did go stand outside with her the week we got SERIOUS and told her to potty over and over again until she did and then we went back in, I think it helps to stay out there and remind them of their task especially while you are training. Good luck!

Terriers and chis are notoriously strong-willed and stubborn. It takes time and consistency. Crate training is the recommended way to go...dogs will not soil their "dens", and until they recognize the house as their den, it is pee territory.Small dogs do not have to go out more because they are small; a dog's bladder is in proportion to its body size. I also strongly discourage rubbing a dog's nose in his mess or "tapping him on the nose" when he makes an accident. Dogs do not connect past behavior to current events. Unless you actually catch him urinating, you cannot correct him for it because he won't know why. Dogs only "look guilty" because they sense you are angry at them.I am a behaviorist and long time dog owner. Cats are definitely easier but they don't have the adoration of their owners thing going on, do they?

Love your pup. I wholeheartedly agree on the crate training. We have a Lab and some kind of mix and they both are crate trained. The best thing about the crate is they really like having a place to sleep and it's nice that we can put them there when we leave and then you don't have to worry that they are getting into things they shouldn't. Keep the pics of Peanut coming!Love your blog.Debbie Kingham

He is such a cutie!!! I may be able to offer you a few tips regarding the potty training. These critters are my area of expertise (I'm a veterinarian =). Kennel training for when you're not home is a FABULOUS way to train them. You need to start them young, or else they will not learn to love their crate. My dog (a Jack Russell) loved his crate. It was his little safe den. They will avoid messing in their crate at all costs, so when you're away or unable to watch him, this is a good option. Never put him in the kennel as a punishment, and slowing get him used to it, using positive reward and keeping the door open for a while. Make it a fun, safe place. Do not feed him his regular meals there, however. Secondly, frequency is key. Take him outside, to the same spot in the yard, every 20-30 min for the first few days. Use positive reward only-give a treat no matter what, but make a HUGE fuss if he's gone potty. Use a command word (go Potty, go Pee etc). If he goes inside the house, and you catch him in the act, say NO, then take him to his spot outside, use command word and STILL give him his treat (he probably won't go since he's already gone in the house, but he needs to get the idea). No rubbing his nose in his mess, no serious scolding, just a firm NO. If he's gone in the house, but you don't see it happen, don't bring his attention to it, and clean it up without him seeing what you're doing. Pee pads, or newspaper inside the house is not recommended. It just teaches them that going inside is ok. Slowly decrease the frequency of the trips outside. If he starts giving you clues that he needs out (like running to the door, etc,) then huge praise and more rewards. It can take many dogs up to 6 months of age to really understand and become officially potty trained. Hope this helps and g'luck!!!

Hi, I have two English Setters that are rescues and my male has definitely been a challenge to potty train - when we first got him as a 6 month old abused puppy he would pee seriously every 10 minutes, outside if we got there in time or inside if we tried to make him wait. One of the best solutions our vet gave us was to limit his water intake. She gave us a schedule of making sure he had water when we fed him in the morning and in the evening, but never more than half a bowl. He was crated while we were at work so obviously no water then, and we gave him half a bowl of water after we got home from work or after strenuous activity. After 7pm we picked up the water bowl for the night. It really worked for us and over time we have progressed to no accidents and leaving water out all the time without worrying that he will gorge on it like he used to. It might be worth trying or at least bringing it up to you vet. Hope it helps! :)

Luckily our pug was trained quickly, I probably traumatized him into getting trained when soon after bringing him home I spotted him taking a .... on my white shag carpet, yelling s*@$! at him at the top of my lungs. Frequent walks, that is what works for us, and time in the backyard after meals.

I found a book many years ago called, "How To Train Your Dog" (duh). Their method was based on the pack theory and I was Alpha. My dog did get his nosed dipped in his messes and told sternly "NO" and then brought or sent outside depending on his age. In all his 12 years, he couldn't resist temptation once (well twice if you count stealing steaks off the neighbors grill!) and that was my rabbit fur slippers! Good thing they were beyond old!

No specific tips here, but an excellent read that really helped me understand a bit of what goes on in those crazy doggy minds is "The Other End of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell. It helped me learn how to react to accidents and all other kinds of doggie dilemmas. She also keeps a fantastic blog about dog behavior at http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/

Consider making a belly band for him. While it won't help with potty training, it just might save your sanity! We have six dogs, including three little boys who like to hike, and having belly bands for days when I can't handle another mistake inside has really helped. They are easy to make and I just use a cheap maxi pad inside to absorb any accidents. Good luck!

I hate to break it to you, but Chis can be very difficult to potty train. I have three (two seniors and one adult) and I still have issues! But, we have a doggie door that leads to our fenced back yard and the hubs and I take them on a walk every night before bed. This helps with them waking us up in the middle of the night potty trips (our doggy door is actually like a storm door with a regular door. They don't have access to it at night since we shut it) Also, they WILL NOT go out in the rain, period. But, I think the best thing for them has been the regular walks. We haven't had any accidents since we have made it a daily thing. You should try it and since you have such a little guy, you don't have to take him very far :) Just give him a treat when he goes potty and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how quickly responds to it.

P.S. I had tears in my eyes reading this post-he is such a cutie and he reminds me of my little guys :)

Is your issue when you are home or when you are gone? If its when you are gone, crate training is wonderful.

If it is when you are home, keep little pieces of super stinky delicious treats around for training. I like rollover (http://www.rolloverpetfood.com/)

When you let him outside join him with some treats after he pees outside give a treat.

This also works wonders for creating a calm dog. When peanut is chilling out in the corner give him a treat. I know it sounds crazy because he didn’t do anything! But you like this calm behavior so he gets reinforcement for it.

My dog thinks he is begging when he is laying down hanging out and being calm.

Oh this little fur baby is so cute! And isn't nicknaming them half the fun?

I want a dog really bad, and my daughter would LOVE it! That said, I am a little to crazy to get one now, and out cats would go ballistic! So I will wait for now and admire other people's cute dogs from a far!

I had my dog trained in a week - definitely crate training, but more so than anything, take him out literally every 2 hours. You will need to wake up at night too. I started taking mine out every two hours at night, then every three, then every four, then once a night, then nothing at all. I sat outside and waiting until she did something. I didn't let her play outside, either. And I would say, "want to go outside?" so she would know 'outside' meant 'potty.' Small sacrifice of sleep but it works!

HAHA! That book thing made me laugh, because we had the same thing happen! Our border collie chewed up everything as a pup--from every single Little People figure to the book "How to Train Your Puppy". And it was a library book too. Had fun explaining that one. Good luck!

here is my tip for you. I hate to tell you but chihuahua's have small blatters and some times can't hold it for long periods of time. you might have to get him pee pee pads and train him on those. I have a 6 year old chihuahua (which is my boyfriends) and it took me getting used to having those things in the house. But one thing is for sure it does save the day for those times he doesn't let us know he needs to go outside.

i hope that helps = ) by they way our chihuahua loves cats too and gets so excited when you say the word cat = )

I have small dogs and the one used to pee in the house too, especially if we left him home alone, or he got shooed away or something (he was also a chewer and destroyer of things). With him it was anxiety and using a crate worked amazing! Whenever we had to leave him at home alone we would put him in the crate and it worked perfectly...almost instantly he stopped all the bad behavior. Now 5 years later I don't have to crate him and he never has accidents and rarely chews anything. Good luck.

Didn't read all the way through but we are crate training sort of with our terrier mix and the only thing different from others is 1. treat him like a newborn. As soon as he eats or drinks out he goes. If nothing happens outside into the crate he goes. 2. While on roam if he makes a mess outside immediately and then back in crate. All that has helped immensely. Only accidents seem to be when he isn't getting all the attention he thinks he deserves. :)

Love it! What a cutie-pie he is. Cracked up when I saw the photo of the chewed-up book, the little stinker.

I could relate to a lot of this, so I've been reading all of the comments for advice. We adopted Maizie, our Shih Tzu, in January, and she's an adult dog who was in a puppy mill. House training and leash walking were two totally new concepts to her, so it's been a challenge to teach them.

The accidents are becoming less frequent, but I hate to say that because I probably just jinxed it--ha. I take her out every 2 hours or so, but that's not always possible.

We have tried and tried to get her to ring the bell on the door like everyone says to do, but the only one who has been trained to ring it so far is me! Maizie still doesn't bark, so if I don't notice her standing quietly in front of the door right away, I've got a mess to clean up. I definitely could've used a Spot Bot over the past few months!

Despite the challenges, though, it's amazing how much love and joy she's brought into our house. Like you, I wouldn't trade my potty-challenged pup for the world. :-)

I feel you on the potty training. Our first dog got it in a week, the second had issues for a LONG time especially if someone leaves clothes on the floor. The second "puppy" can make it over 10 hours in his crate no issues. I started leaving him in there whenever we are gone even though we have a dog door. No problems then, I tied a long leash around my waist with him and everywhere I went he went, if he went pee I was right there to tell him NO. It was a long week but it did the trick. Good Luck!

We potty trained out dog using treats. We bought a different food (Dental) that were big enough to be called "treats", yet not fattening- and every time she went outside to the bathroom we gave her a treat. It took her a day. We did go through a round were she would go out, squat, not do anything-and look for her treat. Which was promptly met with a stern-GO Bathroom! and redirection back to the grass. In the beginning we took treats with us outside-later, she could wait until we go back inside (but 11.5 years later-we cannot ever forget her treat once we get inside-she reminds us if we do :)We also said "go bathroom" as she was going every time for a few weeks. She understands that cue-and we ask her if she needs to go-and she will run to the door if she does. (this also came in handy inside an airport bathroom, she "went on command" when our flight was delayed and we needed her to void before boarding). We also used it to create "ideal" places to go when we moved or visited family.

We have a Peanut too -so I just had to pop over and see yours! We got him from my mom (a chihuahua breeder) when he was 2yrs. We needed him, and he needed us. He had a different name, then someone walked by and said "Look at that little peanut!" and we changed his name. He has exceptional potty habits for a chihuahua, so I am no help there! He actually "teaches" our pug to go potty -really! Our pug forgets why she is outside, so Peanut hangs out a little longer, pees on a few more bushes, then our pug finally "gets" it and they can come back in. It is pretty funny to watch. I would just take him out ofter (I know, a pain) and crate him if you think you cannot watch him. That's my 2 cents. :)

Are you just having problems getting him to ASK to go out? That takes time, but make sure and let him out any time he is doing anything around the door. He will start to associate it and go by the door when he needs to go potty. :)

Ah I wish I had a secret we just discovered our Yorkie's bathroom spot in the hall way and now I'm super intrigued by the Spot Bot.. I think I may even go buy it after work because he's quite the trouble maker..

So, I know you probably don't want to read one more comment with potty training advice, :) but this method worked perfectly for my parents dog and my husband & I just trained our dog this way a few months ago. It's kind of odd, but it works! Anytime they go in the house: 1) immediately soak it up or pick it up with a paper towel, 2) put the dog and the #1/#2 laden towel in a small, dark room (bathroom, laundry room) and close the door, 3) wait 10-15 minutes and periodically say "no" very sternly through the closed door, and 4) throw the paper towel away and let the dog free, acting like nothing happened. (If you think he dog might mess with his stuff, then put him in his crate with the paper towel just out of reach.) It only took us 3-4 times of doing this with our dog and then he got it with no problems since. Hope it helps! :)

Love this post! Peanut is just too cute! Cracked me up about the chewed up dog training book! I agree with the crate training - it does wonders. I have had quite a success over the years crate training my own dogs as well as my foster dogs.

Small dogs can have more trouble with house training because the house itself is just so darn big compared to them that they don't really understand that it's 'inside' and not somewhere they can use as a lavatory.

Most dogs don't like to mess their 'den' where they sleep, which is the idea behind crate training. For a larger dog, it's easier for them to generalize the whole house as a 'den', since it's comparatively smaller.

Crate training can help a smaller dog get in the habit of going outside instead, after which you reinforce that habit until they do it anyway.

The basic idea is you keep the dog in the crate, then let him outside to go before you let him loose in the house. Make sure he's empty before you let him into the house so he honestly can't go there even if he wanted to. Don't just trust that he's been out there long enough, watch him do it. (giving him treats and using a key word and getting all excited when he goes in the right place is a good idea too).

If he doesn't go outside, either play with him outside until he does, or put him back in the crate until it's time for another try.

I love this post, than you for the update on your little nut, giggle. I was going to suggest the bell on the door. That's how my sweet poochie learned. I had her for 16 wonderful years. Hang in there.Big Hugs and happy Friday!

We had a tough time with our Widget (mini schnauzer). I think they are like kids and eventually they get it. They don't like having it near them so they finally decide outside is better. We were also told to use a doggy door so he could go out when he wanted to do so but we have an in-ground pool and lost our previous dog to old age and drowning and I don't like taking that risk. Good luck!

Have you tried giving him praise and a treat every time he uses outside instead of indoors? I think this is one thing we did when we had a lab (I think that is about the only thing we trained her to do well, but she was a sweetie).

There are so many tips for potty training that I will leave those for you. When we want to teach our pup something new I pull out half of his dinner kibble and treat with that. Our little dog isn't very mood motivated, but likes his high quality food well enough, what this allows is for me to treat him over and over and over again. This is perfect for recall training (name calling). We'll take 1/2 the kibble with us on his afternoon walk, call his name, and if he acknowledges us he gets some. Our trainer pointed out that some of the treats we had when we 1st started working with him we akin to candy bars and really how many candy bars can we eat, before long we don't really want to be rewarded anymore.

My biggest recommendation is lots of walks on a leash, helps with energy level in house, and structure of who is running the show. You may find this helps with the barking and chewing too.

I'm a "cat person" and hubby & I agreed to absolutely no puppies, maybe a dog someday. 2 years ago this month poodle(we saw mamma) Chihuahua(alleged) tiny PUPPY came into our life. 38 pounds now (his dad apparently was the breed "fence jumper") he's sweet, no longer chews, and hasn't had an accident in forever. Dogs just steal our hearts.

ADORABLE!!!!!!! I know what you mean, my jack russell/rat terrier has those same looks! I never knew I could love a dog as much as I do my Samson who is now 12. He has definitely changed my life for the better. Thanks for sharing your pics of PEANUT!

I feel for ya sista...lol. We too fell in love with a litte bitty "nut". Max is his name and he was sooooooo cute! A 3 lb bundle of shy, quiet, cuddly mini pinscher. NOW...not so much. He's an 8lb speed demon with the ability to leap tall couches, chairs, and an occasional 6 year old with the greatest of ease. He's a chewer, digger, and pee'er. But at night, when he snuggles down next to our heads...he's too cute to be mad at...:)

Unfortunately, I think the potty training issues are a chihuahua thing. We have a two year old girl chi, and she is STILL not completely house broken. Just when I think Ive got it done, she will turn around and go somewhere she has never even gone before! But she is the sweetest little thing.

First of all, he is too precious! How could you not fall in love with that little face? Isn't it amazing how a pup can agitate you and then melt you with those big brown eyes and it's impossible to stay mad? Mine has learned to put himself on timeout when he does something bad...Usually I don't find out what it was until later (it usually involves eating the cat's food-LOL). What finally worked for me as far as potty training goes was crate training. After a while, we took the crate away and he's done great ever since! Good luck and enjoy your little cutie!

After having a number of small dogs over the years - I have come to believe it is certain small dog breeds that seem to be the worst. Some of our dogs crate training worked, but that only works when you keep them in there, which isn't all the time. in all honesty with a couple of our dogs the best we could do is put down a blaket or pee pad and train them to go on there. If you get to the point that going out isn't just happening this might be a sane alternative. Jsut some thoughts for you . . . they are so precious it does seem worth the aggrevation. Thanks!

I only read about 1/2 of the comments so I hope I'm not repeating everything that already been said. We have a terrier mix: Rat Terrier, Boston Terrier, and Jack Russel Terrier. She had a REALLY hard time being house broken. I used the key phrase "Go Potty", and every time I was outside with her, she would go on command. Then without fail, she would go on our rug 15-20 minutes later. SO ANNOYING!! Then we started using the key phrase AND treats when she went outside. For some reason the treats made a difference. She hasn't had and accident in 4 months....well, except for the boys' room. She always goes in there. Maybe she doesn't like their smell??

Also, you need to get really mad and use a deep, angry, "I'm so gonna kill you" (but not really, of course) voice when you catch them "going" in the house. They need to KNOW this is not okay. Let us know how it's going!! And good luck :D

We have two dachshunds which are notoriously hard to train and very stubborn, so we have learned the hard way. One of our tricks is to take them on walks after they eat because the movement helps them go much quicker. Also, for the chewing issue, you can go to your local pet store and get Grannick's bitter apple spray. You just spray it on whatever you he is attracted to or you see him nibble on. It smells like nail polish remover for a few minutes, but then the smell goes away and he will not want to touch it. If you want a chemical free version, most dogs hate lemon juice so you could try misting it with a water bottle instead. Good Luck!

I think Peanut ROCKS! Love the pics of him in graduation cap and with the Bub! Super cute! When my pup was a pup, we crate trained. Everyone said "they don't go potty where they sleep". Unfortunately, my pupper did (and still will occasionally), but the crate was still the best thing. We just let her go potty outside as many times as we could. Also we would say "go potty" as we were out there. To this day, if you say "go potty" she will ! :)

Our dog was able to hold it in her crate, but she kept peeing in one spot. A trainer explained that when dogs are young, their mothers will eat their poo in their sleeping area, teaching the puppies that you don't go potty where you sleep. The reason why Darby kept going potty in the hallway was because she didn't consider it part of her "nest." We had to teach her that the whole house was "where she sleeps." So, we had to take her to the areas she kept going to the bathroom (after they were cleaned, of course!) and play with her there. She soon learned that this, too was home and the whole house was off limits for potty. You can try playing with Nutter in the spot where he goes and see if that helps.

Oh this just cracked me up. We must have his little twin in a different breed over here. I can so relate with every single word. We've had many dogs in our lives, big and little, boy and girl. I agree with all of the posters' suggestions and I also have to agree that it's partly a boy thing. They do have to mark their territory especially when other pets are in the house. We had a brilliant male Shitzu who was housebroken for years. Then we moved into our brand new house and guess what he did first thing? Yep, you got it.

I have only housetrained one dog...our puggle. But we did NO potty pads. Took her out frequently and used tiny treats. She only got these treats after a potty. Did use the term potty every time too. Only took a week or two and after a potty would race to the jar of treats! Very smart dog. Wouldn't trade her for the world!

no help on housebreaking stuff... but our 85 lb Chocolate Lab will ALSO only sit on nice, fluffy surfaces. Really?! A little tricky when he's bigger than all three kids. And smellier. but only wants to sleep on our couch, bed, kids' beanbags... oh, how we love our dog,too!EAM in VA

Hi! So happy to find your blog. I was referred by a friend. When I told her that I just got back from the NKOTB cruise, she said I should check you out! So I had to leave you a comment, as a fellow blockhead (and blogger) who is also not a "freakedy freak with high bangs." Well, ahem, not anymore. ;) I just posted about the cruise, if you're at all interested. You have a lovely blog, and I love your puppy pics! So adorable. I'm definitely partial to food-themed names for dogs...I once had one named Nacho.

I am a full time pet sitter with 14 clients. When he knows you are serious about him not "going" in the house he will stop. If you couldnt get those little pee stains out, you would have been a lot more fed up by now.. My advice is to follow Cesar Milans ways of dog training. Search NuNu with Cesaer on youtube or something...he was a ChiChi that he trained once. The mexican dog was a terror--- you have to be the boss, its that simple. Good luck, and thanks a ton for your blog..I can train puppies well, and you train me to love my home!

Cute little guy! If you have any way to put in a doggie door and small fenced in area - it will be something that simplifies your life so much. I know a lot of homes aren't set up where this is convenient, but we sure do love ours.

Hi there - rat terrier thing!! I have one that we adopted that was at SPCA from Hurricane Katrina and her name is Tink! Because that is all she does. We take her on a walk and she literally stops to pee every other step. Then if we have company and they pet her she will pee. We have had her for about 5 yrs and she still does it. Enjoy and have fun with your cute pup!

I didn't read all the posts above, but a couple tricks I know that work is to crate train, that is simply the easiest on you and on the dog. Also, when it goes outside to do it's business, take a treat and IMMEDIATELY after it goes, give it the treat, so it begins to understand that going outside is the right thing to do. Also, whatever messes it makes in the house, pee or poop, use a paper towel to pick it up and take it outside and put it where you want the dog to go. The dog will associate that scent with that spot and start to learn it needs to return there to go to the bathroom. Hope that helps!!

I've done rescue work for 5 years now and I do know small dogs are harder to train than big ones but all should be trained by 1 year or so.

My Jack Russell has eaten EVERY puppy obedience class schedule he could get his paws on...eaten out of my center console, jumped up and yanked it off of the fridge, pulled it out of my purse. I swear they know what they are doing when they do things like that!!

LOL I don't have any helpful hints! I did crack up tho! I have a pomeranian who will be 2 in August... he barks like a nut at people outside and wants to viciously eat other dogs alive even if they are mastiffs or saint benards or shetland ponies... it doesn't matter to him. He also just recently ate the covers on two of my twilight novels and my hello cupcake book because i came home and fell asleep. We have the occasional potty or poopy issue still... I credit it to small dog ADHD. He is like "oh god i have to pee!" and he comes in from peeing in the morning and has to poop five minutes later and FLIPS! they are lucky they are so cute! thanks for sharing!

Precious! I didn't read all the comments, but praise is important. Be sure to give him a treat after he goes outside (Cheerios work good). And I'm sure you've got those special words you use when you take him out - "do your pee wee", etc.

I have the SpotBot also...best invention EVER! I would say take him outside every 45 minutes to an hour when you aren't crating him. Set the oven timer so you remember. Our dogs are Boxers so their bladders were much bigger and we used the timer method, but every 2 hours. You may have to shorten it to every half hour depending. It will take some time and effort on your part, but it will be well worth it!

He is so adorable. There are lots of things that I could tell you about house training, but being consistent is the most important. We used the word "outside" right before we took him out (use the same door every time). Praise him as soon as he "goes" and bring him inside right away. That way he learns that the point of going "outside" is to do his "business". We also used crate training for our mini schnauzer. If you're not already using the crate, that's my number one recommendation.

Of course you have a million comments already, but I had to chime in after years of fostering pups and working with rescue groups and then working as a vet tech for several years. Consistency is key. So is a crate.

Crate training is one of the best things you can do for the guy. You make going in the crate positive, so that he feels like it's a happy nest. Add a toy, a treat, and his bed, etc. And whenever - and I mean WHENEVER - you can't watch him, put him in the create. You are saving him from himself, so to speak. He won't be able to get into trouble, and then when you let him out, you go straight outside until he does his business.

It's tougher to potty train small dogs than large ones, it seems. The key is to not give them the chance to go potty inside ...which is why it's important to take them straight out as soon as they come out of the crate.

Oh - and be sure to only use enzyme cleaner when he has an accident. Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle are the best. If you clean the spots with that and not chemical based cleaners, you will get every ounce of smell out. It's miraculous. You've gotta really soak the carpet with it, but you can use them in your steam cleaner, too.

You have so many comments already, just wanted to say that I agree with the other posters on crate training-it's the way to go. But also remember to get him neutered as soon as possible. We have a rat terrier who is 14 years old and still marks territory in the house if given the opportunity. So mad we never got him neutered! Good Luck with your Nut! P.S. We also had a dog named peanut, when we got him, he was so small and cute (peanut fit perfectly)but he ended up being huge(he was a mix, so we didn't know how big he would be) and was so funny to yell "peanut" to a 100lb dog!

Yes I have a good tip for you, it has proven itself over 3 crazy dogs. Crate train or box train. If you contain the pup in his own space for about a week taking him out specially to go potty he will not go in his "crate/box" after a week take him out to potty them let him play but put him back in the box! he will learn that his personal area has expanded slowly to the whole house as you expand his play area and will not go potty where he lives! It works I promise! just take him out regularly and as annoying as it is when you take him out tell him to "go potty" or what have you until he goes then lots of love and re crate / box soon he will let you know when its time ! Good Luck!! ~Sarahlynn

I hope potty-training is going well. I had a nightmare experience with my youngest dachshund. I grew up training dogs and have potty trained many dogs (all but one were golden retrievers.) So when we got our long-haired creme dachshund Bailey I knew just what to do. Did the crate training, taking him out all the time, even changed my work schedule so he was never left alone in the crate for more than 3 hrs. Fast forward 6 mths and he still was pottying in the house. We tried EVERYTHING! Our lives were tied to that dogs pooping schedule and still we couldn't get him to stop. It was that "light-bulb" that you mentioned (we have since realized...as cute as he is...he dosen't have a lot going on upstairs lol).

Long story short...at 8 mths our vet recommended feeding him as early as possible (I came home between classes and fed him at 3pm) and taking up water an hour after he eats. He also recommended feeding him outside...said that was supposed to help the "the-house-is-my-dog-cave" instinct kick in. It was a miracle! Within a week he stopped pottying in the house and now, 2 years later he no longer has to be in the crate and we have no potty issues at all.

So there IS hope! Good luck! I know those little guys sure take a lot of time but they are so worth it! :)

I absolutely love this post! I have two German Shepherds and I decided I'd get two puppies at the same time... WOO that was a big mistake! Trying to raise a puppy is a difficult task, but I still love my pups more than anything. When you said you came up with nicknames for Peanut that reminded me of all the nicknames I have for mine. I think I have at least eight some including: blinky (because the female squints when the lights are turned on), black thunder (the male has black going down his back), white lightening (the female is a white German Shepherd), and the list goes on and on :). I actually created a personal blog so I could keep all the wonderful memories in one place. Someday I'll turn it into a little book for myself and look back. Puppies have quite a mind of their own. Wow, this post is turning into a novel. I'm done! Love you blog :).

My husband and I have a toy rat terrier. We got her at 8 months old and was not potty trained at all! With a lot or training she is better but still has accidents, like when she gets hyped up, or gets too excited with new people, or sometimes when she just feels like peeing on the carpet. She is let out at about the same time every day and still has a few accidents. I believe it is just because of their hyper nature. Like you said, ours can hold it through the night but she still has accidents in the day.What we started to do was look at her and say, "you wanna go OUT?" If she does she will go towards the door. After do that often, she now puts "out" with going to the bathroom. Not sure if it will help, but it may. We also take her "out" the same door every time she potties.Once you have a routine they typically catch on. Even now, she will sit at the "out" door when she wants to go out.Just a few ideas. Hope it helps.

I have a Chihuahua and i have finally figured out the trick (she is 4 years old now) what works for me is to take her out early morning, approx 11, 2, 5, 8, and 11. and i stand out there with her the entire time on the grass. And if she doesnt seem to want to go i walk in a circle with a diameter of about 5 feet or back and forth and call them so they follow you. most dogs do this before they go anyways and this kind of forced them to do it. I learned all this from a trainer and it is the only thing that works for me. and if i have been gone for many hours i greet her outside. anyways hope this helps!